You Won't Live Here Forever. So Don't Wait To Try Out South Florida's Best Entertainment, From Going To The Beach And Shopping To Outdoor Concerts And The Annual Florida Renaissance Festival.

We live in paradise. While the rest of the country shivers, South Floridians enjoy average highs in the 70s and 80s. The warm weather allows us to enjoy the best of South Florida almost year-round.

BEACHES

Beaches should be the No. 1 stop when visiting South Florida, and residents should take advantage of the natural resource as well. South Florida has beautiful beaches and great surfing during the winter. To take advantage of some killer waves, rent a surfboard at a local surf shop in Palm Beach County or contact a surfing school to get free or inexpensive tips and lessons. If you'd prefer to relax, bring your beach chair, a good book, and soak up some rays in a place like no other.

FLORIDA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Wouldn't it be magical if you could just take a step back in time, waltz into the 16th century, and partake in the famed "rebirth," the Renaissance?

South Floridians can do this every spring at the Florida Renaissance Festival at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach.

The Renaissance Festival, which runs this year from Feb. 11 through March 19, is an eagerly awaited event for many locals.

If you are interested in history, or just fascinated by the Middle Ages, you will find the festival to be a form of time travel. From the first step into the fair, you are surrounded by people in historical costumes and stylized vendors. There are plays, sword fights and jousts to view. You can even take a stab at archery or fencing.

SHOPPING

Though shopping might seem mundane, it can be very exciting in the stores and malls of South Florida. The area offers a range of retail, from the giant outlet mall Sawgrass Mills to the upscale boutiques lining Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

The clothing that dominates the retail market in the area is hip. South Florida is unique in its clothing style; it has an international influence.

The actual experience of visiting malls with friends is always fun, too. Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach and Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale are great outdoor shopping areas that often have live entertainment and great restaurants.

FISHING

Want to catch your dinner, or just looking for an excuse to spend a day on the water? Fishing is your ticket.

Madeline Bennett, a senior at Pine Crest School, goes fishing on the Deerfield Beach pier, on her boat in the ocean, and off the dock behind her house.

"It's calming ... I love anything to do with the ocean," Bennett said.

But fishing can also have its moments. "It's exciting when you catch something. I once caught a shark in the Bahamas!" Bennett said.

She recommended fishing because "it's something to do that doesn't cost any money and is still enjoyable."

WATER SKIING

What better way to "be with your family, get the biggest rush ever, and get totally ripped" than to go water skiing? Valerie Peicher, a Pine Crest junior can't think of one.

She water skis because she can "set goals, and reach them and push [herself]," she said.

At McGinnis Ski School in Davie, her whole family practices each weekend. "The youngest cousin is 4," she said. "It's a great sport for all ages."

SCUBA DIVING

With its easy-access to beaches and miles of reefs, South Florida is a scuba diving mecca.

Many teens who scuba dive say it is incomparable to anything else because "no matter where you go [dive], you're going to see something interesting, and it's always an adventure," said Cassie Bishop, a junior at North Broward Prep.

Not only is scuba diving a visual adventure, said Hunter Adak, a junior at North Broward Prep, but it feels like flying.

"You can't get this feeling anywhere else. You're literally flying over sunken ships, forests of sea grass, and just mountains of coral reefs. It's kind of childish to say, but you really feel like you have superpowers and that gives you a good feeling. It's truly something," Adak said.

A popular dive is The Sea Emperor. "It's a barge that was deliberately sunken, and it's home to a lot of spectacular marine life, including a 15-foot-long moray eel and a few king groupers," Adak said.

Scuba shops and community colleges offer certification classes, so starting on this adventure is easy.

THE IMAX THEATER

Bigger is definitely better when it comes to the movie experience, and the Blockbuster IMAX theater in downtown Fort Lauderdale is the biggest. With a five-story-high screen, and the ability to show three-dimensional films of discovery, thrills or just laughs (depending on which movie one visits), the IMAX can provide an afternoon's worth of entertainment. The IMAX doesn't only offer films on exploration and science. The new Harry Potter film is showing at the IMAX, complete with the theater's new 42-speaker surround-sound system.